The day was over in the blink of an eye and Ivy found herself carrying a sleepy Mia up to her room. This was it. After today, there would be no more rest, only danger.
"I didn't get to play with Rosy at all today. I-I didn't even get to say goodbye to her," whispered Mia. Ivy hadn't gotten a chance to say goodbye to Blossom. It was probably going to be a long time before they were able to hang out again if ever.
"I'm sorry. But try not to think about that. I need you to focus on happy thoughts. You really need your rest for tonight. So, I really need you to sleep as well as you can," Ivy said firmly.
"I'll try."
"That's my girl. I know that it's always very hard when the break ends. But this is just the way that things have to work," Ivy whispered.
"Do you think that we'll be okay? Do you think that we'll make it to the end of the game?" asked Mia. Ivy smiled. Mia always asked her that at the end of each break week.
"Of course we will, Mia," she was lying, and Mia knew that she was lying. But this lie was a useful lie. It gave them false hope and false hope gave them the strength to keep going and keep fighting. After Mia was fast asleep, Ivy headed back downstairs to check on the supplies one last time. She also needed to thank all of the dolls who had helped her get things organized. Ruby and the three other helper dolls were chatting quietly in the hall. They were enjoying the last few hours of peace and unity that the break had given them. All of them looked up when Ivy entered the room.
"Thank you once again for all of your help," she said. "I don't think I could have done this all by myself. Now, we have a big day tomorrow and we could all use some rest, so I say that we all turn in for the night." All the dolls nodded and obeyed. All the dolls except for Ruby. She was sitting in the corner, looking out of the window at the street below.
"Are you alright?" Ivy asked, placing her hand on Ruby's shoulder.
"I'm terrified," Ruby admitted. "In all honesty, I don't think I'm ready to go back to the games. Just the thought of them makes my hands shake."
"Well, if it's any comfort, I'm sure that every single doll in the city is just as terrified as you," laughed Ivy.
"Even you?" Ruby asked.
"Oh, yeah! I'm full of dread and terror and every other kind of fear there is right now!"
"Wow, you're very good at hiding it," said Ruby. Was she? That was good. Mia couldn't see just how much fear Ivy had in her. The dolls needed to trust her and it was hard to trust someone who let their fear control them.
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"Well, I try very hard not to show too much. I-I am sorry about that one time that I lost it and yelled at Lu. I really shouldn't have done that. You really helped calm me down," Ivy whispered.
"I've lost it at people too. It happens. Everyone does it," said Ruby softly. That was true. But it didn't give Ivy an excuse. Calm, that was what she needed to be to Ruby right now. Ivy sat down next to Ruby and the two girls watched as the last rays of crimson sunlight vanished. But the peace was shattered by a knock at the door. Ivy didn't hesitate. She rushed to open the door, despite the fact that she had no idea who or what she expected to find standing behind it. Blossom greeted the girls with a smile.
"I'm sorry, I know it's late," she whispered.
"Is everything okay?" asked Ivy.
"Yes, I-I don't know. I just haven't seen you two for a while. I wanted to make sure that you were both doing okay," whispered Blossom. "I was wondering if something had happened to you."
"No, we're alright. Is everything okay?" Ivy asked.
"Are you sure you still want to help Lu, even while the games are going on?" Blossom asked suddenly. Not this again.
"We've made up our minds, we will continue to work with the rebels." Ivy lowered her voice. Pain and rage mixed on Blossom's face as she narrowed her eyes.
"I'm trying to help you. Do you two have a death wish? Trying to plan a rebellion on top of the games is crazy. Do you have any idea how many rebels die with each game?" demanded Blossom.
"I don't know but I can imagine," said Ivy.
"What if you die in the morning? What if the overseers catch you? Is this really worth dying for?" Blossom also lowered her voice.
"Yes," Ruby said without any hesitation. "I'm fighting for my friends and for freedom. If that's not worth dying for I don't know what is." Did Ivy agree? She was honestly surprised by how quickly Ruby had answered.
"Look, Blossom. I know that I can't change your mind, so please, don't try to change mine," said Ivy firmly. Pain was slowly spreading across Blossom's face.
"You're one of my only friends, Ivy," was all that Blossom said. Ivy fought back her smile. She couldn't help but feel bad for Blossom. To feel empty and lonely wasn't a fate that Ivy would wish on her worst enemy, let alone one of her closest friends. But she had made up her mind already. This was what she wanted to do. Ivy was tired of being a part of the machine the humans had built for them. If Blossom wanted to remain a part of the system, she could, it was her choice. This was what she was willing to die for. Blossom wasn't going to change her mind, and she needed to make that clear.
"It's getting really late. You should head back. You'll need your rest for the games," Ivy gave Blossom's hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll see you tomorrow. Hopefully we can both make it through the day," Ivy added. The pain on Blossom's face faded into a look of deep understanding. She didn't fight Ivy anymore. She just nodded and left with a polite but sad smile.
"I feel so bad for her," Ruby whispered. "She's probably been living like this for decades." Oof, that was rough. No wonder Blossom seemed so desperate for comfort.
"We should head to bed too," Ivy said softly. She tried to turn her mind to happier things. There was still hope for Blossom. She could save Blossom. But first, they needed to beat the humans.